Chen Nephew Accused of Murder

Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong have formally detained the nephew of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, whose dramatic escape from house arrest last month sparked a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Beijing, on suspicion of murder.

According to a formal notice issued to his family, a copy of which was obtained by RFA, Chen Kegui was formally detained "on suspicion of deliberate homicide" on Wednesday by police in his home county of Yinan.

Chen Kegui is now being held in the Yinan County Detention Center, and his detention was approved by the county prosecution office, the notice said.

Chen Guangcheng said from his bed in Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital, where he has been staying since leaving the U.S. Embassy after a six-day stay that enraged Chinese officials, that the authorities were retaliating against his family following his escape.

"Their insane revenge [against my family] has already begun," Chen said. "Even my nephew's lawyer has now had restrictions placed on his movements and has received warnings."

Serious charges

Liu Weiguo, one of a group of public interest lawyers trying to help Chen Kegui, said the charges had escalated since Chen's nephew was detained at his home on April 30.

"Originally they weren't even planning to detain him for a crime, but for obstruction [of official duty]," Liu said. "Now they are pressing charges of the most serious kind."

He said that, according to their information, Chen Kegui had injured three people in a struggle that ensued after security personnel entered his home after Chen's absence was discovered.

He said Chen Kegui had defended himself with a chopper, injuring, among others, an official called Zhang Jie on the back and face.

"His life was definitely in no danger," Liu added.

He said lawyers would continue to make every effort to visit Chen Kegui and offer their assistance.

'Utterly shameless'

Chen Guangcheng, whose foot is in plaster following injuries sustained during his escape from his heavily guarded home in Shandong's Dongshigu village, said he was disgusted by the charges against his nephew.

"This is utterly shameless, to burst into a person's home in the evening and start beating people up, and when you resist them, they turn it around to say you are a murderer," Chen said.

"It just shows how evil they have become."

He said some lawyers who had planned to travel up to Shandong from Guangdong to represent Chen Kegui had had their licenses revoked.

He said his brother had also been forbidden to leave the village by local officials.

"Their family's phones have been snatched away by them, and they have no way to communicate now," he added.

Recent contacts

Following several days of secret bilateral negotiations with U.S. officials, China announced publicly that Chen and his family were free to apply to study overseas.

Reports have said Beijing was anxious to find an alternative to the embarrassment of a political asylum case involving one of its best-known dissidents.

Beijing is usually in a position to dictate the timing of dissidents' release into exile on "medical parole," which often comes after they have already served lengthy jail terms.

Chen said on Friday he had received a phone call from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to say they were liaising with Chinese officials on his application to study in the United States.

"Yes, they called me and spoke to me," Chen

"They said they had been in touch with the foreign ministry, but I don't know with what result."

Commenting on reports that his application to leave China to take up at least two offers of fellowships at U.S. universities would be processed "soon," Chen appeared skeptical.

"They haven't even taken the passport photographs yet, so I don't see how it can happen that quickly," he said.

Could depart soon

But an anonymous source close to Chen's case said the activist, who says he and his family endured nearly 20 months of detention and beatings at the hands of local officials following his release from jail in September 2010, could arrive on U.S. soil by the end of the month.

"It should be pretty much ready now," the source said. "They're not going to refuse to let him leave."

"It is likely that it will happen during the next 20 days, by which time his foot will have more or less recovered."

Chen's wife, Yuan Weijing, who is currently staying in his hospital room along with the couple's two children, said his foot is healing more slowly than expected, however.

"He needs to go easy on his foot," Yuan said, adding that Chen's gastrointestinal bleeding is now "basically under control."

She called on the Chinese authorities to speed up the family's application for passports.

"We already asked [the hospital staff] to liaise about this on our behalf ... on Wednesday," Yuan said. "They have passed on the message; they will pass on any message that we give them."

Reprisal concerns

U.S. officials said on Thursday they were in contact with Chinese authorities about “concerning reports” of reprisals against Chen's family.

"We’ve expressed our concern should there be any sense of reprisal, etc., but we are awaiting further information,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington.

The State Department said on Monday they stand ready to expedite visa applications for Chen and his family as soon as they have the right documents.

Chen, 40, who spent four years in jail and nearly 20 months under house arrest after exposing forced abortions and sterilizations under China's draconian "one-child" policy, has been offered places as a visiting scholar by New York University and Washington University.

Reported by Grace Kei Lai-see for RFA's Cantonese service and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.